


Please Won't You Be My Neighbor?

by Pippythewriter, We_had_a_bonding_moment (Pippythewriter)



Series: Ohana [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: ...if only because I don't know how to get a beta, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Autistic Keith (Voltron), Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Sassy Pidge | Katie Holt, Shirogane is Shirodone, autistic keith is not explicitly stated, no beta we die like men, yet - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:47:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24777133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pippythewriter/pseuds/Pippythewriter, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pippythewriter/pseuds/We_had_a_bonding_moment
Summary: When Shiro reunited with his his summer camp best friend Matt at a McDonald's after 3 years of not seeing each other, he didn't know what to expect. But i wasn't moving into the apartment complex where Matt lived at his suggestion. And it DEFINITELY wasn't the madness that ensued afterwards. But he's not complaining.
Relationships: Colleen Holt & Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith & Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith & Shiro (Voltron)
Series: Ohana [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1792009
Comments: 29
Kudos: 86





	Please Won't You Be My Neighbor?

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! A big thanks to everyone who read my first story! You guys are the best! This story will be part of a series. Happy reading! :)

"Mom, I just don't see why we need to meet the new neighbors. This isn't the 1950's." Katie groans. Colleen rolls her eyes with exasperated fondness.

"It's just a nice gesture." She replies. Katie groans again.

"A stupid one." Katie mumbles under her breath.

"Well, you could always stay at home and write your apology letter." Colleen responds with a smirk, Katie sputters.

"For the hundredth time it wasn't my fault!" She defends herself. Colleen tries to hold back her laughter as she responds.

"You caused an explosion anda _fire started._ _Ho_ _w_ are you not at fault?" Colleen asks.

"First of all, they can't prove it was me, there aren't security cameras in that area. Second of all, _it was in a chemistry lab!_ Explosions and fires are practically a daily occurrence there!" She states.

"Well, true as that may be, you aren't taking chemistry this year." _And the school year hasn't started yet,_ Colleen thought but didn't say. Katie pouts. "Come on Katie, the new neighbors can't be that bad." Colleen says, ruffling her daughter's hair. Katie scowls and Colleen finally gives into urge to laugh. "Come on kiddo, let's go meet our _terrible monster_ neighbors."

* * *

"Keith! _Keith_ where'd you go buddy?" Shiro calls out, trying (and failing miserably) to locate his little brother. _I know this is a decent sized apartment, but how many hiding places could there possibly be? Knowing Keith, plenty,_ Shiro thinks to himself. "Keith are you hiding?" And of course this is when he hears a knock on the door. _Of course someone's knocking on the door, because why the heck not?_ It's been a rough morning for Shiro, trying to get himself and his little brother Keith moved in to their new apartment. It would have been fine but Keith had been... less than cooperative, to say the least. "Come on buddy! Can you please come out of wherever you are?"

"I'm not a dog." He barely heard Keith say indignantly from somewhere in the apartment and breathed an internal sigh of relief. _Well, at least he's still in the apartment this time._ He opens the door, a middle-aged woman and a young girl (her daughter maybe?) were standing outside. The woman has a warm smile on her face, but there was something familiar about the girl. And not just her dead-on impression of Keith's signature ' _I don't know you,_ _I don't want to talk to you'_ scowl, though it _was_ impressive. She seems to be thinking the same thing. "Hi, can I help you?"

"Hi, sorry to bother you, we're your new neighbors. Well, two of them anyway. Just wanted to say hi." The woman greets. The girl looks so familiar, it's driving Shiro crazy. At that moment the girl seems to remember something.

"You're the guy who's brother drank a quart of milk even though he's allergic!" She exclaims in realization, and Shiro cringed. _Well that explains why she looks so familiar._

"You must be Matt's little sister, nice to finally meet you. I'm Shiro." Shiro introduces himself, so flustered he doesn't realize he's sticking out his prosthetic to shake their hands. Colleen doesn't bat an eye and instantly excepts the handshake wordlessly. Katie on the other hand...

"Whoa! Matt wasn't making it up! You actually have a metal arm!" Katie exclaims excitedly, tugging his prosthetic towards herself to examine it.

"Katie!" Colleen scolds, and Katie retracts her hand with a sheepish look. Shiro smiles fondly.

"Don't worry about it, it's completely fine." He reassures.

"Are you sure?" Colleen asks.

"Ma'am, all due respect, but Matt's my best friend. I've had worse." Shiro responds and Katie snorts loudly. He thinks he hears her say 'You got that right' under her breath. Colleen slumps a little in relief.

"I'm sorry, I can get a little," Colleen starts, making vague hand gestures. "You know."

"Yeah actually." Shiro responds. _Years of being friends with Matt are finally paying off._ Colleen sighs. "Really Dr. Holt, it's not a big deal. If it makes you feel any better I just spent the last hour trying to find Keith, who's somewhere in the apartment."

"Who's Keith? Your cat?" Katie asks, Shiro chuckles.

"No, he's my little brother." He answers.

"The milk guy?" Katie asks. Shiro debates his options for a couple of seconds, whether to deny it, or tell the truth (the milk incident _was_ a true story, just more complicated in reality and no doubt exaggerated by Matt's storytelling) and forever let his brother be branded as the 'milk guy'. _Well Keith, you had your chance._

"Yeah, Keith's the milk guy."

* * *

They had talked a little longer until the Holt's had to go, but not before Colleen invited Keith and Shiro to dinner. Shiro readily accepted and they left. Shiro comes in, locking the door behind him.

"Are they gone?" Keith asks, tentatively poking his head out of, of all things, the laundry closet. Shiro shakes his head at him fondly.

"Yes Keith, they're gone. It's safe to come out now." Shiro answers with a teasing lilt to his voice. Keith lets out a relieved sigh, and drops down from in between the washer and dryer. How he got in there, much less without him noticing will forever be a mystery to Shiro. Keith had always seemed unnaturally quiet, but he'd rather not think about how he managed it (or why he had to learn). "But we're going over there for dinner."

"What? Why?" Keith asks unhappily.

"We were invited." Shiro answers simply.

"Can't we just stay here?" Keith pleads.

"That wasn't what you wanted earlier." Shiro responds and Keith groans.

" _Shiro._ " Keith whines.

"I thought you liked Matt." Shiro says.

"He's okay, he's just," Keith gestures wildly.

"Okay, yeah, Matt's a little all over the place." Shiro concedes. "But he's a good guy."

"I know, and if it was just Matt..." Keith trails off.

"Yeah I know, new people. (sighs) Alright, how about this? We'll go to dinner, you can leave the talking to me, and if you get overwhelmed we'll leave early, deal?" Shiro asks and Keith tentatively nods. Shiro offers him a reassuring smile. "Thanks kiddo, I promise I'll make it up to you."

* * *

Shiro and Keith got ready and went to the Holt's apartment when it was time for dinner. Keith anxiously fidgets, staring intensely at the ground as Shiro knocks on the door. Matt answers.

"Oh hey Kashi! Keith. Mom said you guys were coming." Keith looks him over while avoiding eye contact. Matt had green hair and square black glasses and wore tattoo sleeves (the kind that _cover up_ tattoos, not the ones that make you look like you have them) all the time for some inexplicable reason. He was... interesting, to say the least. "Come on in." Keith shakes himself out of his revelry and walks in with Shiro.

"Eat my dust Lance!" Keith looks up and freezes. There are two other kids on the couch besides the one he identified as the voice from earlier, Matt's little sister Katie.

"In your dreams pigeon!" One of the kids, a Hispanic (Cuban, maybe?) boy about his age shouted, making Keith wince.

"Uh, guys?" The other boy, a young large Samoan, asks. The other two's heads snap up. Keith avoids eye contact at all costs and shrinks further into himself.

"Crap!" Katie exclaims and scrambles to stand up, the first boy (Lance?) did the same a second later. "Um, sorry, we were really in the zone, I didn't see you there. I'm Pidge, well, Katie actually, but everyone calls me Pidge."

"Hi! I'm Lance! Your the milk kid right? Oof!" Katie, Pidge, elbows Lance. "What? I thought it was cool!"

"Hi, I'm Hunk. I'm sorry about my friends, they can be kinda extra. Keith, right?" The other boy, Hunk, asks gently. Keith is already _very_ overwhelmed, but he told Shiro he'd try. What on earth does _extra_ mean? Regardless, all he can manage right now is a nod. Katie seems to notice and all but shoves Lance and Hunk out the door.

"Sorry about that. Do you play Mario kart?" Keith shakes his head no, and Katie visibly deflates. "Oh, that's ok. We'll find something else to do. What do you like to do for fun?" Keith panics at both the non yes or no answer question and it's personal nature and freezes again. He's suddenly regretting letting Shiro go with Matt to see his room. Katie contemplates something, and, to Keith's surprise, starts slowly and clumsily signing. It's been a long while since he used ASL, he's always been better at Morse code anyway, but he thinks he can make out what she's saying. 'What's your preferred method of communication?' That can't be right, he signs 'what did you say?'. She starts again with more smooth, deliberate movements, and sure enough, it's the same as before. He thinks for a minute and signs 'Do you know Morse code?'.

* * *

When it's time to leave they say their goodbyes and part ways, heading back to their apartment.

"I had a pretty good night, how was it on your end?" Shiro asks.

'Not bad.' Keith signs. Shiro raises an eyebrow.

"Wow, I haven't seen you have to break out ASL in awhile, you sure you're alright?" Shiro asks, concerned. Keith had to be _pretty_ overwhelmed socially to start signing.

'Yeah, I'm okay. It was actually pretty nice.' Keith signs as Shiro unlocks and opens their door, letting Keith in first. Shiro smiles, pleasantly surprised.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it." Shiro replies, Keith smiles shyly.

'Me too.' He signs.

"Maybe we can go over there again sometime." Shiro suggests.

'Maybe, just not really soon.' Keith replies, and Shiro huffs a laugh.

"No problem bud." Shiro responds.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Feedback would be absolutely amazing and is accepted in all forms (except hate)! If you feel like you can't put a comment together please know that I love and appreciate you and the kudos and hits too! Have a wonderful day :)
> 
> P.S. Forgot to add this the first time, the title is a 'Mister Rogers Neighborhood' reference.
> 
> Edit: GUYS! GUESS WHAT??  
> RedLion003 made fan art for this fic! Here's the link:  
> https://yelmor-boots.tumblr.com/post/636946615269228544/since-ive-only-gotten-around-to-reading-the-first  
> She is SO TALENTED guys! If you get a chance I highly recommend checking out her fic :)


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